Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-16
THE KISS IN HISTORY.
Dw OsculatiOn Has Fared i'm
Various Nations.

There was an old belief that unless
amaiden was kissed under the mistle-
tie at Christmas she would not be
parried during the coming year.
When Fox was contesting the hard
Fon seat at Westminster the beautiful
Duchess of Devonshire offered to kiss
III who voted for the great statesman
In the ceremonial of betrothal kiss
has played an important part in sew
eral nations. A nuptial kiss in church
at the conclusion of the marriage SER
vice, is solemly enjoined by the York
Missal and the Sarum Manual.
The beautiful Lady Gordon, when
the ranks of the Scottish regiments
had been sadly thinned by cruel Ba-
daJos and Salamanca, turned recruit
ing sergeant and, to tempt the gallant
lads, placed the recruiting shilling in
her lips, whence each who would
might take it with his own.
In Finland, according to Bayard
Taylor, the women resent as an insult
salute upon the lips. A Finnish
matron, hearing of our English custom
of kissing, declared that did her hus-
band attempt such liberty she would
treat him with such box on the ears
that he should not readily forget
In Wesley's journal, dated June 16,
1858, is given the following descrip-
tion of duel between two officers at
Limerick: 'Mr. B. proposed firing at
twelve yards, but Mr.. j. said: No,
six is enough So they kissed one
another (poor farce) and before they
were five PAGES asunder both fired at
the instant"
The Code of Justinian says "that if
a man betrothed a woman by kiss
and either party died before marriage
the heirs were Untitled to half the do
nations of the survivor to the other
half but if the contract was made
without the solemn kiss the whole of
the espousal gifts must be restored to
the donors and their heirs-at-law.
The Mohammedans on their pious
pilgrimages to Mecca, kiss the sacred
black stone and the four corners of
the kaaba. The Romish priest kisses
aspergillum, and Palm Sunday the
palm. Kissing the pope's toe was
fashion introduced by one of the Leos,
who, it is said, had mutillated his
right hand and was too vain to expose
the stump.
In Iceland kissing had deferred PEN
alties of great severity. For kissing
another mans wife, with or without
her consent, the punishment of exclu-
sion, or its equivalent, was awarded.
A man rendered himself liable for
kissing an unmarried woman under
legal guardianship without her con-
sent, and even if the lady consented,
the law required that every kiss
should be wiped out by fine of three
marks-equivalent to 140 ellis of wad-
mal-a quantity sufficient to furnish
a whole ships crew with pilot jack
cts.
In Russia the Easter salutation is a
kiss. Each member of the family sa-
lutes the other; chance acquaintances
on meeting, kiss; principals kiss their
employees; the general kisses his ofiic
ers the officers kiss their soldiers the
Gar kisses his family, retinue, court,
and attendants, and even his officers
on parade, the sentinels at the palace
gates, and select party of private sol
diers-probably deliberately prepared
for this "royal salute" In other parts
the poorest serf, meeting a highborn
dame in the street, has but to say,
"Christ is risen," and he will receive
a kiss and the reply, 6 He is risen,
truly"
Home, in his quaint old "Table
Book" gives an account of a curious
old kissing festival held in Ireland:
easter Monday several hundred
youpy Dprsops of thp town and neiph-
borhood of Potsferry, County Down,
resort. dressed in their best, to pleas
ant walk near the town called The
Waller The avowed object of each
person is to see the fun, which consists
in the men kissing the females without
reserve, whether married or single.
This mode of salutation is quite mat
ter of course it is never taken amiss,
nor with much show of coyness. The
female must be ordinary indeed who
returns home without having received
at least dozen hearty busses."